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< Sept/Oct 2000
	Gear
Heritage Kayaks' Tandem An Open Cockpit, Self-Bailing Beauty Natalie Springuel

This was a new experience for me. Our team of three reviewers--Jeff DeJongh, Ron Wanner, and myself--have been sea kayak guides and instructors on the coast of Maine for many years, and we've always used closed-deck boats. I'd be lying if I didn't admit that part of me wanted to dislike this boat. But that didn't happen.

The Tandem felt perfectly designed for playing in waves and surf or shallow, flat waters. The biggest waves we encountered on any of our testing days were small (12-18 inches), but the Tandem caught them nicely and carried us several yards. Bigger waves would certainly take us for a fun and stable ride.

The Tandem's hull design, which Jeff described as the shape of a gull's open wings, has built-in sponson shelves. The hull itself lies in the water while the sponsons lay on top. Consequently, the boat's contact with the water is limited to just the hull, enabling the boat to move at the same speed as most polyethylene kayaks, despite its wide berth. Thanks to the sponsons, you'd have to work really hard to get this boat upside down. When I solo paddled the Tandem and tried to flip it, I simply fell out of the cockpit while the boat flopped right side up, empty of water.

Paddling an open deck kayak on the North Atlantic is not for the easily chilled or under-dressed. When waves splashed into the cockpit, they left us sitting in a pool of water. The kayak's self-bailing holes are located between the paddler's legs, elevated above the seat and foot area, so at least an inch of water is never able to escape, even when the plugs are removed. No biggie if you're in warm water, but for colder climates, be sure and dress accordingly.

One of its best attributes is that it's extremely stable. Jeff and I took it on a lake and paddled up a shallow creek where we took turns standing up, and experienced barely any teetering. It would make a great fishing platform. We also found that paddling on your knees like a canoe worked well too. On lake and ocean alike, we hardly used the rudder because the Tandem tracks and turns well without it.

A downside is the lack of sufficient bulkheads between the hull and the seat bottoms which lead to oilcanning when lashed down to racks. We'd also equip the Tandem with additional tight bungees to lash down necessary equipment.

All in all, the Tandem was a fun boat for our team of closed-cockpit aficionados. We quickly appreciated the ease of entry, innovative hull designs and superior stability. We concluded that we'd love to take this boat to Assateague, Chincoteague, the Outerbanks or the Florida Keys, both for its performance and to escape the frigid waters of Maine.

Boat Beta: length: 16' 6"; width: 30"; wt.: 84 lbs.; MSRP: $1,100. Info: (401) 253-3408, www.heritagekayaks.com.